Applied Public Health Research Workshop in Namibia

The CARe  (Capacity Building in Applied Public Health Research in GHPP partner countries) project kicked-off its on-the-job training programme in Applied Public Health Research with a face-to-face workshop in Windhoek, Namibia, from 30th October to 3rd November 2023.

Twenty-eight public health specialists from the African region participated in the one-week workshop. The participants have a varied professional background. Many of them work with African RKI partner institutions in Global Health Protection Programme (GHPP) projects, and some work in national public health institutes (NPHIs). A number of them were nominated to participate in the training by the Ministry of Health and Social Services in Namibia, CARe partner.

Topics of the first workshop included: (1) an introduction to Applied Public Health Research, (2) developing a well-posed research question, (3) reviewing the literature, (4) understanding key types of public health research study design and (5) types of quantitative and qualitative data for public health research. The workshop was based on the train-the-trainer approach and very interactive, including group work and discussions. The week also included social activities and a team-building evening to facilitate networking among the participants.

The workshop is the first event of the CARe project, a comprehensive on-the-job professional training programme which aims to help build capacity in public health research in National Public Health Institutes and/or Ministries of Health in African GHPP partner countries as well as current African partners of the GHPP programme, including health facilities, universities, local NGOs or charities, and local private contractors. The CARe training programme is running from October 2023 until December 2025. The financial support of this project is provided by the Federal Ministry of Health on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag.